Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Discover the Zodiac



Taurus (SS-Y-2113)


Ever wondered where the zodiac was invented, who came up with it, and why have its symbols been assigned to particular dates?  A little bit of astronomical history will help us uncover this mystery.

Scorpio (SS-Y-2119)
During the 1st century BCE, Babylonian astronomers divided the ecliptic (a celestial path the sun follows in one year) into 12 cardinal celestial points with the same celestial longitude.  These cardinal points are marked by constellations and serve as checkpoints where the sun enters and exits in a period of thirty days.  With these observations, the Babylonian astronomers assigned a sign, beginning with Aries as the first, to each month.  Although our modern calendar is not based on the zodiac, it is still used as reference for astronomers to know where the sun appears in relation to Earth.





The following outlines each zodiac sign with their corresponding dates:

Aries: 21 March – 20 April
Taurus: 21 April – 20 May
Gemini: 21 May – 20 June
Cancer: 21 June- 21 July
Leo: 22 July – 22 August
Virgo: 23 August – 22 September
Libra: 23 September – 22 October
Scorpio: 23 October – 21 November
Sagittarius: 22 November – 21 December
Capricorn: 22 December – 19 January
Aquarius: 20 January – 18 February
Pisces: 19 February – 20 March

Curious on what these constellations look like in 3D?  We have all 12 zodiac signs laser-engraved on crystal!  Explore our website to find your Zodiac Sign or better yet, collect them all!
Virgo (SS-Y-2117)

Aquarius (SS-Y-2110)

Friday, July 1, 2011

Featured Product

Bronze Dancing Couple (SS-DB-ZD5785-2)

Today we explore one of our collectible item categories – our Metal Art Figurines and Statues.  Let us take a look at metal art and the historical significance behind it.  Ever since man began building tools and weapons, metal art evolved into the use of decorative purposes with the sculpting of valuable Earth ores to represent all aspects of life.  Archeologists have found that metal art artifacts made with copper, bronze, iron, silver, gold, and lead go back as far as 7,000 B.C. for the making of knives, cups, bowls, and decorative figures.
Some of the ancient civilizations that practiced metal art include the Greek, Roman, Aztec, Mayan, and the Egyptian.  As it is the case for art in general, metal art emphasizes on capturing the moment, re-living the essence of an event, a memory, or revealing an iconic presence of our cultures.  This can be seen in all sorts of sculptures made with metal in both ancient and modern civilizations.
Here at stealstreet.com, our lively and descriptive metal art decorations capture the essence of our modern world in both bronze and aluminum.  With incredibly low prices and a huge selection, there is certainly an item for every collector.  Our items are hand-crafted, detailed, and aesthetically pleasant, ranging from detailed animals to abstract representations of daily life.  Metal art is one of the most exquisite, innovative, elegant, and simple ways to decorate any home or office environment.  You can find all of our bronze and metal art statues
HERE.  Happy shopping, and happy Fourth of July!